When Storage goes Wrong: Explosive Tragedy in Tianjin, China

On August 12th, 2015 a massive explosion rocked the port city of Tianjin, China. To date there have been 56 confirmed fatalities, and more than 700 confirmed injuries. Questions surround the incident. How did this explosion occur? Was the aftermath handled properly? Was the entire situation linked to a government cover-up? Interestingly enough all these questions might come down storage.
The explosion occurred at a warehouse owned by one Rui Hai International Logistics. The role of the warehouse was to store materials that were marked for latter shipping to destinations around China. The warehouse was zoned to store only common, nonhazardous goods. Information being gathered following the explosion shows that that might not in fact be true about what was kept at the Rui Hai Logistics warehouse. Rather, they appear to have been storing hazardous chemicals.
According to news reports, approximately 700 tons of sodium cyanide, a compound that gives off highly toxic gasses, had been stored at the Rui Hai facility. Since the explosion traces of this compound have been found in pipes linked to the Tianjin sewer systems. Further they stored a compounded called calcium carbide which releases flammable gases when exposed to water.
Firefighters who initially responded to the fire were unaware of the presence of the hazardous calcium carbide in the warehouse. They proceeded to use standard firefight tactics, which involve the use of water. It is possible that this contributed to the severity of the explosion.
Here at Albuquerque Self Storage we take safe standards extremely seriously. If firefighters had been aware of the potentially hazardous chemicals, it is possible that this entire tragedy could have been avoided. Albuquerque Self Storage ensures that only the safest materials are stored on its property. They are proud to set the highest standards for safety and ethics in the world of self-storage.